Wedge Grows Deeper for ‘So-So’ Rolen

Scott Rolen’s four-year, $10-million contract, with its no-trade clause, expires after this season, and the way the rhetoric is flying in Philadelphia, there is growing doubt the 1997 National League rookie of the year will be a Phillie in 2002.

Remarks by team senior advisor Dallas Green on a Philadelphia radio station Monday drove another wedge between the Phillies and their third baseman, once considered their franchise player.

“Scotty is satisfied with being a so-so player,” Green said. “He’s not a great player. In his mind, he probably thinks he’s doing OK. But the fans in Philadelphia know otherwise. I think he can be greater, but his personality won’t let him.”

Phillie followers were trying to determine whether Green was lighting a fire under the underachieving Rolen (.293, 13 home runs, 74 runs batted in) or firing the first salvo in a spin campaign aimed at justifying a winter trade of Rolen, who becomes a free agent after 2002.

“I don’t feel as welcome in this organization as I have in the past,” Rolen said. “I’m not keeping score. But if I was, I’d be way behind the Phillies on the negativity scoreboard.”

Rolen was stung in May by comments attributed to Manager Larry Bowa, who was quoted as saying Rolen’s lack of production was “killing” the Phillies. Bowa denied making the statement, saying he had been referring to the middle of the order and hadn’t singled out any player.

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Flexibility has been a strength for Phil Nevin, who was drafted by Houston as a third baseman, played outfield and catcher for Detroit and the Angels and returned to third in San Diego, where he has blossomed into a 30-homer, 100-RBI player.

But Nevin was not enthused when Padre General Manager Kevin Towers approached him about going to the instructional league in October to learn to play second after prized third-base prospect Sean Burroughs joins the Padres.

“The game’s changed in a lot of ways,” Nevin said. “Established guys are the ones who move positions instead of 20-year-old kids who are more open and more apt and more able to make changes.”

Nevin, who leads major league third basemen with 23 errors, has never played second. The Padres envision a Jeff Kent-type player, but many doubt the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Nevin has the range or quickness to handle the position.

“I don’t know how to react to a lot of things here,” Nevin said. “I feel like I’ve done enough to be thought of as somebody they could build around. All I can do is keep playing. I’ve said all along that if it meant winning a championship, I’d do anything.”

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Milwaukee Manager Davey Lopes can’t seem to escape the firestorm created by his on-field confrontation with San Diego’s Rickey Henderson after Henderson stole second with a 12-5 lead in the seventh inning on July 22.

Lopes’ stance took a beating last Sunday when Cleveland overcame a 12-run, seventh-inning deficit to beat Seattle, a comeback that prompted debate over what is a safe lead and what is considered running up the score. Lopes, who threatened to “drill” Henderson in his next at-bat, wouldn’t back down.

“There’s a difference in trying to manufacture runs,” Lopes said. “What if [Seattle Manager] Lou Piniella said, with a 12-run lead, he’s going to bunt a runner over to second? Would he do it? No.

“That’s what I’m trying to say. You don’t stop playing to win. You don’t stop trying to score. But you don’t hit and run, you don’t steal bases and you stop trying to manufacture runs. That’s the difference.”

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Mark McGwire and Jim Edmonds combined for 74 home runs and 181 RBIs in 2000, but this season the St. Louis pair has only 101 RBIs combined.

Edmonds is batting ..271 with 16 homers and 60 RBIs, a steep drop from 2000 (.295, 42 homers, 108 RBIs). McGwire is hitting ..190 with 20 homers and 41 RBIs after batting .305 with 32 homers and 73 RBIs in 89 games in 2000.

Edmonds has a sore right shoulder, “but I also think he’s trying to make up for it by hitting home runs,” Manager Tony La Russa said. “He’s elevating. You watch him in batting practice and he’s hitting line drives.”

McGwire called his own recent efforts “sickening.”